Gathering Companions III
“Well then, please go easy on me, alright?”
“Indeed, I shall be careful not to go all out. If I lose control and unleash my full strength, well, I apologize in advance for that.”
“Hehe, yes, yes. That’s perfectly fine, really.”
“Hmm, is that so… then, come at me.”
“Yes, yes… here I go!”
“Hmm, so we have training dummies and wooden swords, huh? This should be… about the amount needed.”
“I see… by the way, how much would it cost to repair the walls and floor of the training ground?”
“In that case… it would be around this much?”
“Hmm, I don’t have that on hand… can this cover it?”
“…That’s actually a bit too generous. If we’re talking about the Dragon’s Scale, especially from an adult that has grown considerably, even at the base market price, it would amount to… this much.”
“…Is it really that much?”
While keeping an eye on the two fools, one red and one gold, who had begun to clash with their unsheathed swords, I continued my conversation with the middle-aged man clad in the distinctive purple Knight’s Uniform of the unmodified order, whom the golden fool had brought back with him. The topic was simply about compensating for the dummies and swords I had destroyed in a fit of emotion, as well as the repair costs for the training ground, which were likely to arise due to the escalating clashes between the two fools.
Unfortunately, while I had enough money to cover my lodging and meals, I lacked sufficient funds for the repairs. Thus, I had presented the Reverse Scale I had collected, which was originally meant to be offered to the King. I had thought it would fetch a decent price, maybe around eight digits, but the estimated base price I was given was twelve digits, which left me utterly shocked. I had assumed that since it was a rare material, and only one could be obtained from a dragon, it would be more common, especially since many humans could slay such dragons.
As for the two fools, the golden one, Stella, seemed to be goading the red one, Fana, into testing the new recruit’s abilities. Fana, being straightforward and earnest, accepted the challenge, and they both charged toward the center of the training ground, beginning to wreak havoc. I had no time to stop them, as I had to prioritize dealing with the man I was speaking to, who clearly lacked the presence of a fighter.
“Only a limited number of humans can slay dragons, and even among those, not many can do it as cleanly as you. Besides, judging by the coloration, it’s an Earth Dragon, right? This type rarely has individuals with minimal injuries, so it would be valuable for display or research purposes. Many blacksmiths and knights would jump at the chance to use it for weapons and armor.”
“I see… it’s easy to obtain, yet…”
“You’re the only one who can kill dragons as if they were slimes… For now, I’ll take this as collateral and sell it on your behalf, but I will definitely return any excess to you later.”
“No, I want you to keep it—”
“That’s impossible. Just give up on that.” … “I see.”
“Yes. Well then, until next time.”
“Ah… I’m sorry, but it seems like things are going to get more damaged than I thought.”
“Don’t worry. If the Commander starts selecting knights, it’ll get even worse, so a single damaged spot is nothing to fret over. Besides, about eighty percent of the cause is on our side.”
“Hmm… I suppose I could let you keep a little for yourself? You seem to be struggling.”
“Ah, no need. I’ve been saving up my salary, though I haven’t had the chance to spend it due to being busy.”
“Sadly, I can relate to that.”
“Right? When you’re busy, you just don’t have the opportunity to spend.”
“Hmm.”
As we shared this sad truth, I entrusted the Reverse Scale to the man and turned to leave the training ground, glancing back at the two fools who had intensified their sparring.
The two of them, red and gold, were clashing with enthusiasm, leaving trails of color in their wake. At a glance, it didn’t seem like there was much of a difference in their abilities, but observing their footwork, weight shifts, sword swings, defensive maneuvers, gaze movements, and breathing patterns, it was clear that Fana had the upper hand and was still composed. On the other hand, Stella, who had just joined us, was struggling to break through Fana’s defenses.
From what I could see, relative attack power and mobility favored Stella, while Fana had the edge in defense and destructive power. However, Stella was holding back to avoid delivering fatal blows, and Fana was also refraining from going all out to prevent damaging the training ground.
In summary, despite their nearly equal strength, neither had a decisive advantage, which meant their duel could drag on. However, I doubted that Stella’s current offensive capabilities would be effective against Fana, whose durability was impressive enough to withstand a strike I had delivered with about eighty percent of my strength during a previous encounter with a mind-controlling mushroom. Fana had merely brushed off the attack with a light scratch.
But setting that aside…
“………It’s about time to stop.”
Perhaps they had gotten too carried away or forgotten that this wasn’t a space for unrestricted chaos, but it seemed they were about to lose control of their restraint. I decided to intervene. The quickest way would be to attack them directly, but doing so would undoubtedly turn me from a Hero into a terrorist, hunted by the kingdom.
So, I opted for a safer approach: stepping in between them to absorb their momentum and then throwing them to the ground. Thankfully, Stella had been maintaining some distance after each exchange.
Alright then, here I go.
“You two are getting a bit too heated!”
“「！！」”
With a light step, I interjected between Fana and Stella, who were poised to clash swords, and caught their blades mid-swing, redirecting the force of their repeated strikes. I then seized their weapons and tossed them aside.
With both of them frozen in place, I reached out and grabbed the tops of their heads, lifting them slightly while applying gentle pressure.
“「………！！！！」”
“This is the Royal Castle’s training ground; in other words, it’s someone else’s property. It’s not a place for you to unleash your full strength and run wild. Look at the ground and walls; they’re all battered and scarred. I’m not saying you can’t go all out, but at least be mindful of your surroundings and adjust accordingly.”
“Got it, got it! Just let me go! This is seriously painful!! Look at Stella! She’s already lost consciousness!”
“Huh? …Hey, wake up.”
“……Huh!”
“Normally, I’d slam you down to the ground for a proper lesson, but doing that would shatter the ground twice as much as you’ve already damaged. So let’s call it a day for now.”
“Understood!! I won’t do it again!!”
“Yes! I promise I won’t do it again!!”
“Good. If you mess up again, it’ll be a trip through the skies next time.”
“「はい！！」”
After extracting a promise from Fana, who was screaming, and waking Stella from her faint, I finally let them down. The two of them landed on the ground, one hand clutching their temples while the other rested on their chests, gasping for breath. I left them to recover and went to retrieve the swords I had thrown aside, returning to stand before them.
For the record, I hadn’t used even ten percent of my strength. So why did Fana scream while Stella fainted? It was all about how I channeled my power. I had learned to direct my strength inward to ensure that I could kill Golems and those with exceptionally hard exteriors. I applied that technique here, causing the pain that would normally affect the skin and bones to be felt internally, which is why Fana screamed and Stella fainted.
If I had no intention of causing them pain, I wouldn’t have needed to go that far. However, considering the need for discipline, it was necessary, especially for Fana. I admit I miscalculated a bit with Stella.
“Here, put your swords away.”
“Ah, um… why does it hurt so much?”
“It’s the same principle as blowing apart a Golem from the inside. I carelessly applied that method to channel the pain directly into you.”
“……? Oh, I remember now. That.”
“………??”
“I’ll explain the principles behind it in practice soon. For now, just put your swords away, stand up, and grab your things. We need to find an inn where we can stay.”
“Is it already that time?”
“It’s better to move quickly and find a place. Oh, Fana, if you’re going home, that’s fine too. Stella, if you’ve already found a place, you can go there.”
“Ah, I was living in the Knight’s dormitory, so I have nowhere else to go. I’ll stick with you.”
“I see, then let’s start searching for an inn.”
Although it was just beginning to get dark, travelers and adventurers from outside would soon start finding lodgings, and space would become scarce. We would need at least two rooms, so I wanted to start looking as soon as possible.
I was curious about what Fana would do, but she had a strange look on her face.
“Um, well…”
“What is it?”
“When I went to report, um…”
“Oh, what happened? Did they tell you to return home and receive training as the heir?”
“No, they didn’t say that. They didn’t say that, but…”
“………? What is it?”
“Um… my mother wants to talk about various things, so she wants me to come home.”
“……What happens if you don’t go?”
“…I’ll probably get caught and be unable to move.”
“………..Huh… Alright, I’ll take Stella with me.”
“Huh!? Me too!?”
“If your mother is calling you instead of your father, it’s likely to be some troublesome matter, probably about a marriage engagement or something equally annoying. I need someone to help divert the conversation, and if possible, someone I can use as a shield. Stella, you were a knight attendant to a former princess and a knight commander… You should be accustomed to such formal atmospheres. Come with me; I’ve been avoiding that kind of thing.”
“I’ve been trying to avoid it as much as possible too!?”
“Hey! Can you stop treating my mother and home like they’re more troublesome than facing monsters!?”
“You’re the one who brought the trouble! Nine times out of ten, the reason you were called is related to you! Fine, once we reach your home, I’ll spill all your embarrassing secrets to your family during our first conversation!!!”
“Stop it!?”
“………Slowly, slowly.”
“I won’t let you escape, Stella. You’re coming with me.”